Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-03-05

10 your ,nother.r
Miss Alice lifted her bright eyes intelli.
gently, hut not joyfully, and the color Of
action, rather than embarrassment, rose to
her round cheeks.
sYes, he said shc would,r she answered,
simply.
"At present." continued Mr.. Rightbody,
stu awkwardly, u see no objection to ths
proposed arrangement
Mis- Alice opened her round eyes Ut this.
@Why, pap, I thought It bad been all set
tied long ago! Mamma knew IL, you knew II.
Last July and you talked it OVER
Eyes, yes" returned her father, fumbling
bib papers; that is-well, va will talk Of II
tomorrow" In fact, Mr.. .Rightbody had
intended to give the affair q proper attitude
Of seriousness ard solemnity by duo precision
Of speech and some opposite reflections, when
be should tmpart the news to his daughter, but
felt himself unable to do It now. II am glad,
Alice," be said at last, shat you havo quite
forgotten your previous whims and fanciea.
You go TOE are right"
"Ohi I dare say, papa, II I'm to be mar.
ried at all, that Mr.. Marvin is in every way
suitable
Mr.. Rightbody looked at his daughter mar.
rowly. There was not the slightest impatience
nor bitterness in her manner; It was ~ we'll
regulated as the sentiment she expressed.
sMr. Marvin isr-he began.
II know what Mr.. Marvin IT," interrupted
Mis- Alice; eand he has promised me that I
shall be allowed to go on with my studies
the same as before. Ishall graduate with my
clas; and, II Iprefer TO practice my profe,
sion, I can do % in two years after our mar.
riage."
aIn two ysarsi" queried Mr.. Rghtbody,
curionsly.
ayes. You see, in case we should .have .
child, that would give. me time enough 70
wean IT,"
Mr.. Rightbody looked at this aesh of his
fesh, pretty and palpable flesh a. It was; but,
being confronted as equally with tho brain of
bis brain, all he could do was to say msekly:
"Yes. certainly. We will GEO about all
that tomorrow" Il
Miss Alice rose. Something In ttheafree.
unfettered swing of her arms AZ she, rristed
them lightly, after q half yaw,,, Oh her 1.-the
hips, suggested his next speech, although still
distrait and impatient. p
"You continue your exercise with tho
health-lift yet, I see"
"Yes, papa; but I had to give up the fian-
nels. 1adon't see how mamma could wear
them. But my dresses are high-necked, and
by bathing I tougher my skin. Zee ~ she
added. as with a child-liko Inconsistencies,
she unfastened two or three buttons Of her
gown, and exposed tho white surface Of her
throat and neck to her father, ~ can defy a
chill"
Mr.. Rightbody, with something akin to a
genuine, playful patemal laugh, leaned for.
ward aud kissed her forehead.
ats getting late, Ally" he said parentally,
but not dictatorily. "Go 10 he'd
II took a nap Of three hours this afternoon"
said Miss Alice, with a dazzling smile, ITO an.
ticipate this dissipation. Good.night, paps.
Tomorrow, then"
Tomorrow, !" repeated Mr.. Rightbody, with
his eyes still dxed upon the girl vaguely.
Goodnight"
Miss Alice tripped from the room, possibly
a trile the more alphabetically that she l,sd
parted from her father in ono of his rare mo.
meits Of illogical human weakness And per.
haps It was well for the poor girl that size
kept this single remembrance of him, WHEN, I
l fear, in after years, his methods. his reason
ing and indeed all he had triai to impress
upon her childhood, had faded from her
memory.
For, when she had left, Mr.. Rightbcdy fell
again to the examination of his old letters.
This was quite absorbing; so much 50, that
be did not notice the footsteps Of Mrs. Right
body or the staircase as she passed to her
chamber, nor that she had paused on the
landing to look through the glass half4loor
on her husband, as no sat there with the
letters beside him, and the telegram opened
before him. Had she waited q moment later.
she would have seen him rise, aud walk to
tho sofa with a disturbed air aud a slight con.
fusion; SO that, on reaching it. he seemed to
hesitate to Lie down, although pale and evi.
IDENTIFY faint. Hal she still waitei, she would
have seen him rise again with an agonized
effort, stagger To tho table, %fulnblingly rcfold
and replace tho papers in the cabinet, and
lock It, and, although now but half conscious,
hold tho telegram over the gus flame till It
was consumed. For, had she waited until
this moment, she would have flown unhesi-
tatingly to his aid, as, this act completed, he
staggered again, reached his hand toward the
hell, but vainly, and then fell prone upon the
sofa.
hut alas! no providential nor accidental
band was raised to "a him or anticipate the
progress Of this story. And when, half an
hour later, Mrs. Rightboly, a little alarmed,
and more indignant at his violation Of the
doctors rules, appeared upon the threshold,
Mr.. Rightbody lay upon the sofa dead!
With hustle, with %thronging feet, with the
trruption Of strangers and a nurryins to and
fro, but, more than all, with an impulse and
emotion unknown tn the manson wnen in
owner was in life, Mrs. Rightbody strove to
call back the vanished life, but in vain. The
highest medical intelligence, called from its
bed ut this strange hour, saw only the demon
stration Of its theories made . year before.
Mr.. Rightbody was d~ead-without doubt,
without mystery, even as a correct man
should die-logically, and Endorsed by the
highest medical authority.
49, lin